The History Dork

Thursday, February 18, 2010

So, you've heard the term Sadist, am I correct? Well, let me introduce you to the man who coined the term.

The Marquise de Sade may not look like a disgusting vile man. He fits the picture of a Hollywood bad guy. He was truly twisted. Bondage, S & M and whatever else you can think of, he did it.

He was born into the life of aristocracy in Paris. What caused him to become the person he is known as? Well, it might have been his relationship with his father but we might never know. He led the life of a noble, however, his private life was one of scandal and in the high times of gossip, nothing could be kept private any longer. It was widely known he procured prostitutes and if he didn't expect them to say anything, he was horribly wrong. They complained about his ill treatment towards him to the authorities and they kept him under observation (surprising, because you would have thought they would have pressed it aside do to his rank in society) Well, he did something very naughty and this was the beginning of his downfall. One of Sade's first major scandals occurred on Easter Sunday in 1768, in which he procured the sexual services of a woman, Rose Keller. He was accused of taking her to his chateau at Arcueil, imprisoning her there and sexually and physically abusing her. She escaped by climbing out of a second-floor window and running away. And you guessed it, this led him to prison!! He would be in and out of prison his entire life, actually. I'm sure it became normal for him after awhile, in fact, he probably enjoyed it, seeing as he tried to seduce most of his young fellow prisoners. He actually lost his mind later in life and was known for his "Writings" such as "philosophy in the bedroom" and "Justin and Julliette." You can procure his writings online for free, actually if your an expert googler and a daring person. Be warned.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

In the 18th century, the clothes were some of the most exquisite, in my opinion.

When people think of the eighteenth century, ROCOCO is what appears in their mind... BIG hair and white faces with wide hipped dresses. However, some people's image of the eighteenth century might be off.

For example, we must start with the corset. The ideal silhouette of the 18th century was a long, triangular waste. The breasts were flattened and the cleavage pushed up. Here's an example look above.

You must keep in mind that fake satin and polyester lace did not exist... Neither did obscene cleavage and a curvy modern silhouette.

Whenever I look at Rococo gowns, I have an eyegasm. They're extremely detailed and elaborate in some cases. Remember, however, the average middle class woman did not wear bright floofy gowns with bows. The dresses of

Then there's the shoes. OMG the SHOES!! they were amazing. There are many amazing examples of these shoes. A lot of the shoes from the 18th century actually still exist and are on display. Google them when you have some free time.

Getting dressed in the eighteenth century was hassle in and of itself but worth it. You had to wear the shift, then your shoes would have to be put on along with your stalkings. Then came the corset, which, depending on what event you were going to and which class you were, would vary in comfort, then, if you were usually going to a ball or special event, there were false hips or just a petticoat. The dress in itself was complicated. There was the silk or cotton petticoat and then the stomacher which had to be pinned to your corset. The dress would then be on and, if you were a woman of modesty, a fichu would be placed around your neck to hide your cleavage. The end result was beautiful and Rococo fashion has stuck with us ever since.